Sport

Commercial leave it late

RUGBY Club B hosted the Commercial B in Division A of the Bridgwater Town Skittles League and dominated the opening hands, racking up a lead of 33 by the fifth hand, early floppers from Andrew Paul and Martin Cornish helping.

Commercial pulled pins on the second hand but it was a double flopper from Steve Cave and a flopper from Neil Fear at the end of the sixth hand that reignited the game.

Rugby Club set a target of 75 to win following a disappointing 59 final hand. Ben Schofield and Gav McGill both hit final hand spares to give the team a chance and come the final player on only a four was required to win, an eight was duly got gaining the win for the Commercial.

In Division B, Mansion House A visited the Crown to play the A team and started ideally with a spare from first man on Paul Walford leading to a haul of three pins for the hand. However, the second hand gave the advantage firmly to the home side losing 14 to go 11 down.

Mansion chipped away and by the fifth hand were leading by two pins, the sixth hand was tied so the game came down to a final hand shoot-out. A winning target was set by the crown of 58.

Mansion House needed a spare which failed to materialise resulting in a win by two for the hosts.

In a reverse of the above fixture, the Crown B played at the Mansion House against the B team in Division C, and started well winning the opening hands to lead by five.

Mansion fought back in the third and fourth to take the lead for themselves with spares from Jason Hobbs and John Lillington leading to a 16-pin advantage.

Two poor 59 hands from the Mansion resulted in the lead switching again as the Crown boosted by Sam Modleys spare went three in front. The Mansion House set a target of 65 to win, which the Crown failed to get by two resulting in a one-pin win for the Mansion.

In Division D, it was a clash of the Markets with The Newmarket visiting the Market to play upstairs against the B team.

Market went five up following a 15-spare from Joe Clark.

Newmarket responded in the second and third hands with spares from John Paterson, Ron Robbiliard and a flopper from Rob Gowan building a lead of 21.

Market reduced the deficit to nine following a good fourth hand, but the Newmarket won the final three hands to win by 13.